The present invention relates to a device for fixing vehicle body parts, particularly a rear covering part of a motor vehicle in a guide rail connected with the vehicle body and having receiving legs for fixing the vehicle body.
DE 197 41 062 A1 discloses a multi-function rail for securing and mounting, aligning and fixing of vehicle body parts on a mounted part. The rail is slidably preassembled and, for this purpose, has so-called keyholes.
An object of the present invention is to provide a device for fixing vehicle body parts, particularly a rear covering part on a guide rail of a side part, by way of which it is possible to ensure in a simple manner a defined and durable gap measurement between the side part and the rear covering part.
According to the invention, this object has been achieved by providing, in a section of a side part oriented outwardly of the vehicle body and extending approximately horizontally in a driving direction, a first channel support which, in at least one area, has a branching-off, downward-oriented, second channel support wherein the guide rail is held in the first and second channel supports by corresponding channel shaped-out sections.
The principal advantages achieved by the invention are that, with a precisely positionable guide rail at the respective side part of the vehicle, a rear covering part can be mounted with a so-called zero gap.
According to the present invention, this object is achieved in that, in each case, in a section of the side part oriented to the outside of the vehicle and extending approximately horizontally, a first channel-type support is provided which has in at least one area a branching-off, downward-oriented channel-type support. By way of corresponding channel-type shaped-out sections, the guide rail is held in a positionally precise manner in the two supports.
As a result of this construction of the side part and the guide rail arranged therein in a positioned manner, a so-called zero gap is durably permitted between the side part and the mounted rear covering.
In particular, the first channel-type support is arranged on an edge area of the side part in a vertical plane and is constructed with a U-profile-shaped cross-section. This marginal area of the side part is adjoined by a metal holding plate for a bumper in which the second channel-type support is partially arranged. Thus, the rear covering can be fastened by way of the guide rail immediately adjoining the edge of the side covering, in which case the downward oriented second support ensures a secured fixing of the guide rail in the X-direction as a result of the lengthening in the metal holding plate for the bumper.
The shaped-out sections of the guide rail as well as the channel-type supports have a U-shaped profile, so that the guide rail is received in the channel-type supports and locking between the rail and supports is ensured by the respective forms or profiles.
The guide rail preferably has an oblong shaped-out section which has a U-profile-shaped cross-section and which is arranged in the first channel-type support. By way of a leg of the shaped-out section, the guide rail is held on a side wall of the channel-type support and is positioned in the Z-direction. As a result of this support of the guide rail on the side wall of the channel-type support, the rear covering can also be positioned precisely with respect to the side part and a stable fixing with respect to the side part is achieved.
The second branching-off channel-type support in the edge of the side part as well as in the edge of the metal holding plate has a shaping in which the guide rail is held by means of a shaped-out section in the X-direction. Because the side part has a downward-oriented rounding on the end side, by way of the second channel-type support, resting of the rear covering part on the side part can be achieved with a so-called zero gap.
As a result of the two channel-type supports in the side part, resting of the rear covering part against the side part with a zero gap is advantageously achieved according to the invention and a lowering of the rear covering part is excluded because the guide rail is held in a tightly fixed manner in the two channel-type supports of the side part.